But he hadn’t pierced deep enough.

The Hobgoblin Chief’s hide was indeed thick, and the level difference was a whopping twofold.

But that was fine.

Suho actually hoped the creature would last as long as possible.

Whoosh!

The Chief’s axe swung down at him, and Suho bent his waist to avoid it. Then, he sprung up like a coil, slicing along the beast’s inner ribs.

Ssshk!

Once again, the wound was shallow.

That thick hide was the culprit.

Unbothered, Suho moved around, slashing again.

Swish!

Another cut.

Thunk!

And another stab.

He repeated this process over and over—no, dozens of times.

Suho continued circling the Chief, never moving too broadly. He simply stayed close, creating wound after wound on the creature’s body.

The Hobgoblin Chief grew furious, thrashing desperately as if trying to catch its own tail, but none of its attacks landed on Suho.

The stench of blood hung thick in the air.

Combined with the humidity, the smell of the creature’s sweat mingled with the blood, creating a stifling odor.

But Suho wasn’t fazed. He gazed at the creature, now breathing heavily, and mocked it further.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

“Grrrr...”

The monster didn’t understand human speech.

Yet Suho was sure it understood his meaning.

Taunting wasn’t limited to words.

Enraged, the Hobgoblin Chief let out a bellow and swung its axe at him once more.

But this move, too, was overly broad.

Suho effortlessly twisted his body to evade the blow and thrust the Beginner’s Sword forward like a spear, aiming for an exposed gap.

At last, the blade punctured through what seemed to be an impenetrable hide, ripping through the thigh muscle in a fatal stab.

Squish!

Suho withdrew his sword immediately, and a fountain of blood spurted from the Chief’s thigh.

At that moment...

[You have a high understanding of the thrust technique.]

[The system is reassessing your talent.]

[Congratulations! Your Thrust skill has been upgraded to A-rank.]

[The piercing power of Basic Swordsmanship (B) has increased by 50%.]

His Thrust skill had risen from B to A rank, significantly enhancing his swordsmanship’s piercing power.

Finally, things were falling into place.

But there was no time for celebration—Suho suppressed his smile and focused on his next attack.

And that was just the beginning.

He resumed circling the creature and continued thrusting his sword. Thanks to the upgraded Thrust skill, it became much easier to create new wounds.

“Graaaargh!”

The Hobgoblin Chief screamed in pain, the sound escalating into another Fear.

The Chief’s roar was imbued with Fear, as a boss monster’s skill often carried additional effects.

But this time, Suho felt only a prickling in his ears—nothing more.

Of course.

The Fear effect only applies once.

Suho chuckled coldly to himself.

“Conquered fears never consume you twice.”

From then on, Suho began treating the Chief like a bull in a ring, piercing its body repeatedly.

Dozens of stabs later, the monster’s entire body was riddled with holes, blood pouring from every opening.

Thud!

Eventually, it fell to one knee.

But it wasn’t dead.

Of course, it wasn’t—Suho had avoided every vital spot on purpose.

Standing over the kneeling creature, Suho flicked the blood off his sword and muttered,

“Healing Light.”

[Casting Healing Light.]

[The designated area is beginning to heal.]

Healing Light.

A fundamental skill for healers that heals a selected area.

Suho’s left hand, which he’d pierced earlier to escape Fear, had already healed.

And not a single one of the Chief’s attacks had landed on him.

Yet he cast Healing Light once more—for the Hobgoblin Chief’s benefit.

You’re not allowed to die just yet.

It was as simple as that.

There was one more skill Suho wanted to extract from the creature.

It was a skill that would be even harder to acquire later, so he had to get it now, however tedious it might be.

The Hobgoblin Chief, unaware of Suho’s intentions, looked up in confusion at its healer.

What was happening?

Why was he healing it?

As their gazes met, the Chief could see no malice, no sympathy, no thrill for torture in Suho’s dry, hollow eyes.

As a beast that relied on instinct, the Hobgoblin Chief understood the look in Suho’s eyes.

Boredom.

Nothing but boredom.

It was as if the creature were nothing more than a tool in Suho’s hands.

A chill ran down the monster’s spine as it grasped this unsettling reality.

Once the Chief’s wounds had mostly healed, Suho drew his sword again.

“Let’s start over.”

Bang!

Suho kicked the Hobgoblin Chief in the chest, sending it sprawling backward.

“Kraaaagh!”

Enraged, the Hobgoblin Chief charged at Suho once more.

How much time had passed?

Even after all this time, the Hobgoblin Chief was still alive.

There was only one reason for that.

“Healing Light.”

It was due to Suho’s repeated healing.

He’d spent quite some time here and achieved notable progress.

His Basic Swordsmanship, Basic Footwork, and Parry skills had all advanced to A rank.

And...

“Hieek!”

When Suho lifted his hand to cast Healing Light, the Hobgoblin Chief visibly trembled with fear.

At last, its primal spirit had been broken.

But that wasn’t enough.

Suho cast Healing Light on it again, ignoring its fear.

After patching up the Chief’s wounds, Suho kicked its chest again, sending it sprawling.

Thud!

The Hobgoblin Chief collapsed.

If things went as usual, it would spring up and charge again.

But...

Tremble tremble...

Surprisingly, the Hobgoblin Chief didn’t get up. It lay there, curled up on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

Its spirit had shattered so completely that it lost the will to fight.

Seeing this, Suho smiled.

This should do.

Breaking a monster’s spirit is harder than it sounds, especially when dealing with a boss monster.

But Suho had managed.

The method was simple.

There’s no bravery in the face of pain. Inflict enough physical harm until the creature’s will breaks.

Of course, this method doesn’t work on all monsters, but for this particular one, it did.

Despite being a mere goblin, the Hobgoblin Chief had the resilience and mental strength of a boss monster.

Any missing stamina could be replenished with healing skills.

Suho approached the now-cowering Chief and gave it a light nudge with his foot, meeting its gaze.

The moment their eyes locked, the Chief’s head drooped even lower, and it curled up tighter.

Then, a message appeared.

[You possess such overwhelming presence that you have broken even the boss monster’s spirit.]

[The system is reassessing your talent.]

[Congratulations! You have acquired the skill Intimidate (A).]

At last, Suho had obtained one of the essential skills he’d sought—Intimidate.

Intimidate was a skill not just anyone could learn. When activated, it could suppress an opponent’s spirit to varying degrees.

And, of course, it’s also a defensive skill against all sorts of mental attacks.

That’s why Suho wanted it.

Someone with natural charisma doesn’t easily break, and Intimidate draws on that strength.

In essence, Intimidate is heavily influenced by inherent talent.

Though you can learn it with a bit of trickery, as I did.

That’s why Suho had to acquire it as early as possible.

As he progressed, monsters would become so fiercely loyal to their instincts that they’d rather die than be subdued.

Having gained Intimidate, Suho raised his sword.

It was time for the final blow.

But there was still one more thing he wanted to extract from the Chief before finishing it off.

Gripping his sword with both hands, Suho steadied his breath.

Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he sliced the creature’s neck.

Sshhk!

The Chief’s neck was cleanly severed, thanks to the improved cutting power from his A-ranked swordsmanship skill.

Right then, another message appeared.

[You have a high understanding of beheading.]

[The system is reassessing your talent.]

[Congratulations! You have acquired the skill Decapitate (B).]

Suho grinned at the message.

The last skill he’d wanted from the Hobgoblin was Decapitate, which grants extra effects when beheading.

With this, my work here is done.

As the Chief’s severed head hit the ground, a final series of notifications appeared.

[You have defeated the Hobgoblin Chief.]

[The Gate has been cleared.]

[You have successfully solo-cleared the Gate.]

[The MVP of this Gate-clear is ‘Ahn Suho.’]

[Additional experience awarded for MVP achievement.]

[You have received 1 bonus stat point.]

[Your level has increased.]

[All stats have increased by 1.]

[You have received an additional bonus stat point.]

Suho’s level had increased again. In addition to the experience from defeating the Hobgoblin Chief, he’d gained extra rewards for clearing the Gate and achieving the MVP title.

Alongside the system notifications, a portal appeared before him, leading back to the outside world.

But the system alerts weren’t finished yet.

[You have reached Level 10.]

[The system wishes for you to grow even stronger.]

[The system grants you greater power as a reward.]

[You have received 5 additional bonus stat points.]

[All Healer class skills have been upgraded by one rank.]

[You have learned Cure (E).]

Reaching double digits in level brought new perks.

The rewards included five bonus stat points, a new skill, and an upgrade in all Healer-exclusive skills.

Of course, for now, the only Healer skill he had was Healing Light, but this was enough at his current stage.

Seeing the notifications, Suho nodded.

“Finally, I’ve gained Cure.”

Cure was a skill specialized in treating illnesses, which, at its peak, could even counter the All Poison that had once brought him to the brink of death.

This skill was, therefore, one he welcomed the most.

After distributing the bonus stat points to Strength, Stamina, and Mana, Suho closed his status screen.

Rather than stepping into the portal immediately, he turned toward the Hobgoblin Chief’s body and drove his sword into its chest.

The tip of his sword struck something hard inside.

It was a magic stone.

“Nice size.”

Judging by its size, this stone was likely at least C-grade.

After gathering the magic stone and other valuable materials, Suho finally approached the portal.

“By now, they should be waiting at the entrance.”

Now Suho knew with certainty that this wasn’t a dream but reality.

With that assurance, he felt the urge to see a familiar face—the person who had once been closest to him.